Offered a choice between a term-time-only contract and an all-year one? Or wondering what you're giving up by
working term time? Compare the two side by side: annual and monthly pay, hours worked over the year, and what
each contract pays for every hour you actually work.
England and Wales only: Northern Ireland not covered.
Figures are pending verification. See the details.
The two contracts
Side by side
The all-year contract pays £3,078.38more a year (£256.53 a month) for 196.29more hours of work.
Term-time only
39 weeks worked
5.65 weeks paid holiday
7.49 weeks unpaid
All year
45.54 weeks worked
6.6 weeks paid holiday
0 weeks unpaid
Term-time-only contract compared with an all-year contract
Measure
Term-time
All year
Annual pay
£18,348.91
£21,427.30
Monthly pay
£1,529.08
£1,785.61
Hours per week
30
30
Weeks worked
39
45.543
Paid holiday weeks
5.652
6.6
Unpaid weeks
7.491
0
Hours worked per year
1,170
1,366.29
Pay per hour worked
£15.68
£15.68
Difference in hours: +196.29 a year (all year minus term-time). Gross pay only. Estimates only.
Show the working
Term-time annual pay
£26,427 × 0.8108 × 0.8563 (see the term-time pay calculator for the full working) = £18,348.91
Difference in annual pay (full-year minus term-time)
£21,427.30 − £18,348.91 = £3,078.38
Difference in hours worked (full-year minus term-time)
1,366.29 hours − 1,170 hours = 196.29 hours
Pay per hour actually worked
term-time £18,348.91 ÷ 1,170 hours; full-year £21,427.30 ÷ 1,366.29 hours = £15.68 vs £15.68
Worked at full precision and rounded only for display (money to 2 decimal places, factors to 4). Some employers
use a days-based method or round at different stages, so your payslip may differ by a few pence.
Covers England and Wales. Northern Ireland not covered. Northern Ireland did not adopt the 2024
holiday changes for part-year workers, so these results don't apply there.
Scotland: council staff are on SJC terms, not the NJC Green Book, and many Scottish
councils use a 35-hour week. Change the full-time hours and holiday to match your contract.
Academies: most academies follow the Green Book, but they don't have to. Check your
contract for your full-time hours and holiday entitlement.
Gross pay only: no tax, National Insurance, pension, overtime or allowances.
Figures pending verification
Some of the figures this calculator uses have been researched but not yet checked by hand against the
official sources: weeks per year (52.143); the default holiday entitlement (Green Book, under 5 years); 2026/27 NJC pay spine values used in examples. Treat results as estimates
until this notice is removed.
Rules last checked: not yet checked. Figures for 2026/27.
See the sources
How the comparison works
All-year contract: paid for all 52.143 weeks. Annual pay = FTE salary × your hours ÷
full-time hours. You work 52.143 weeks minus your holiday (for example, 52.143 − 6.6 = 45.543 weeks with
33 days' leave).
Term-time contract: paid for the weeks you work plus pro-rated holiday, as in the
term-time pay calculator.
Pay per hour worked: annual pay ÷ hours actually worked in the year. Under the Green Book
method this comes out the same for both contracts. The difference in annual pay is all down to the
different number of weeks you work.
With the statutory minimum option, the term-time side uses 12.07% (which is based on a 52-week year) and the
all-year side uses 5.6 weeks, so the pay per hour can differ by a penny.
Two common comparisons
Same hours, different weeks
SCP 5 (£26,427 FTE), 30 hours a week, Green Book leave with under 5 years' service. Term-time only (39 weeks) pays
£18,348.91 for 1,170 hours of work. All year pays £21,427.30 for 1,366.29 hours. The all-year contract pays
£3,078.38 more for 196.29 more hours, and both work out at £15.68 per hour worked.
More hours term-time vs fewer hours all year
SCP 3 (£25,614 FTE), Green Book leave with under 5 years' service. 32.5 hours term-time only pays £19,266.46 for
1,267.5 hours of work. 27.5 hours all year pays £19,037.43 for 1,252.43 hours. The difference is small:
£229.03 more and about 15 hours more for term-time.
Things the numbers don't show
Childcare: term-time work can save on holiday childcare costs.
Pension: Local Government Pension Scheme contributions and benefits are based on your actual
pay, so lower annual pay means lower contributions and a smaller pension build-up.
Benefits and tax credits: Universal Credit is assessed monthly. Because term-time pay is
usually spread evenly over 12 months, it is less affected than pay that stops in the holidays.
Choice of leave: all-year staff can take holiday outside school holidays, when it is cheaper.
Frequently asked questions
Do term-time staff get paid less per hour?
+
No, not under the NJC Green Book method. Your hourly rate is the same as an all-year colleague on the same grade, and because your holiday is pro-rated you get the same pay for each hour actually worked. You earn less in a year because you work fewer weeks.
Is it better to work term-time only or all year?
+
It depends on what you need. All-year contracts pay more per year, but you work more weeks and must book your leave. Term-time contracts pay less but give you the school holidays off, which can save on childcare. Use the comparison to see the money side for your own hours.
Why does an all-year contract with fewer hours sometimes pay more?
+
An all-year contract is paid for all 52.143 weeks, while a 39-week term-time contract is paid for about 44.65 weeks. So 25 hours all year can pay almost as much as 30 hours term-time only, for fewer hours of work in total.
How many weeks does an all-year worker actually work?
+
With Green Book leave of 33 days (6.6 weeks) a full-year employee works about 45.54 weeks: 52.143 minus 6.6. With 36 days’ leave it is about 44.94 weeks.
Can I ask to change from term-time to all-year?
+
You can ask, but your employer does not have to agree. Any change to your hours or weeks is a change to your contract and needs to be agreed in writing.
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